Bellingham, Washington — June 7, 2014 —
Doula Stepha Lawson makes a print of Alysn Everbeck's placenta, from Everbeck's second birth earlier that day, before preparing to encapsulate it in Lawson's Bellingham home. Little scientific research speaks to the efficacy of placenta consumption, but its proponents believe it can improve a mother's postpartum mental and physical health, in part by regulating nutrients and hormones women create when pregnant that are present in the placenta. (Hannah Leone/Western Washington University)

Bellingham, Washington — June 7, 2014 —
Doula Stepha Lawson carefully cuts Alysn Everbeck's placenta, from Everbeck's second birth earlier that day, in Lawson's Bellingham home. Little scientific research speaks to the efficacy of placenta consumption, but its proponents believe it can improve a mother's postpartum mental and physical health, in part by regulating nutrients and hormones women create when pregnant that are present in the placenta. (Hannah Leone/Western Washington University)

Bellingham, Washington — June 7, 2014 —
Doula Stepha Lawson arranges freshly cut pieces of Alysn Everbeck's placenta, from Everbeck's second birth earlier that day, in dehydrating trays in Lawson's Bellingham home. The trays go into a dehydrator, where the placenta will dry for several days. (Hannah Leone/Western Washington University)

Bellingham, Washington — June 7, 2014 —
Freshly cut pieces of Alysn Everbeck's placenta, from Everbeck's second birth earlier that day, sit in a dehydrating tray in doula Stepha Lawson's Bellingham home. The tray goes into a dehydrator, where the placenta will dry for several days. Little scientific research speaks to the efficacy of placenta consumption, but its proponents believe it can improve a mother's postpartum mental and physical health, in part by regulating nutrients and hormones women create when pregnant that are present in the placenta. (Hannah Leone/Western Washington University)

Bellingham, Washington — June 7, 2014 —
Doula Stepha Lawson arranges freshly cut pieces of Alysn Everbeck's placenta, from Everbeck's second birth earlier that day, in Lawson's Bellingham home. Little scientific research speaks to the efficacy of placenta consumption, but its proponents believe it can improve a mother's postpartum mental and physical health, in part by regulating nutrients and hormones women create when pregnant that are present in the placenta. (Hannah Leone/Western Washington University)

Bellingham, Washington — June 11, 2014 —
Doula Stepha Lawson pries dried pieces of Alysn Everbeck's placenta from a dehydrator tray, where they were drying for four days in Lawson's Bellingham home. Little scientific research speaks to the efficacy of placenta consumption, but its proponents believe it can improve a mother's postpartum mental and physical health, in part by regulating nutrients and hormones women create when pregnant that are present in the placenta. (Hannah Leone/Western Washington University)

Bellingham, Washington — June 11, 2014 —
Doula Stepha Lawson puts empty pill capsules into a tray in her Bellingham home, before grinding placenta from Alysn Everbeck's home birth four days ago to pour into the capsules. Little scientific research speaks to the efficacy of placenta consumption, but its proponents believe it can improve a mother's postpartum mental and physical health, in part by regulating nutrients and hormones women create when pregnant that are present in the placenta. (Hannah Leone/Western Washington University)

Bellingham, Washington — June 11, 2014 —
In her Bellingham home, doula Stepha Lawson scrapes the tops of pill capsules containing placenta dust from Alysn Everbeck's home birth four days ago. Little scientific research speaks to the efficacy of placenta consumption, but its proponents believe it can improve a mother's postpartum mental and physical health, in part by regulating nutrients and hormones women create when pregnant that are present in the placenta. (Hannah Leone/Western Washington University)

Bellingham, Washington — June 11, 2014 —
In her Bellingham home, doula Stepha Lawson pops pill capsules containing placenta dust from Alysn Everbeck's home birth four days ago into a plastic container. Little scientific research speaks to the efficacy of placenta consumption, but its proponents believe it can improve a mother's postpartum mental and physical health, in part by regulating nutrients and hormones women create when pregnant that are present in the placenta. (Hannah Leone/Western Washington University)